Discussing dry eye disease

The British Contact Lens Association’s (BCLA) Visionaries Conference will feature a panel discussion on the best way to manage dry eye disease within the community.

The debate will explore how health care professionals can best work together to optimise a patient’s quality of life.

It is part of a drive by the BCLA to bring the profession together and formulate a strategy on improving management of the disease.

Consultant ophthalmologist and BCLA council member, Professor Teifi James, will chair the discussion.

He said that although there has been a welcome rise in awareness of dry eye disease over the past 10 years, it has brought with it a new set of potential problems, such as self-diagnosis and products that can be bought by patients with little or no clinical guidance.

“As eye-care health professionals, we all need to understand the different mechanisms and treatment options for this common disease,” Professor James explained.

“We need to provide evidence-based definitions and a contemporary classification for dry eye disease. We are getting there and I am confident this debate will be a milestone on our journey,” he added.

Panellists include optometrist Professor James Wolffsohn, consultant rheumatologist Professor David D’Cruz, consultant ophthalmologist and BCLA president elect Professor Sunil Shah, optometrist Nick Rumney, GP Dr Waqaar Shah, as well as representatives from the College of Optometrists, Local Optical Committee Support Unit and the Association of British Dispensing Opticians.

Also on the event programme is consultant ophthalmologist and eye surgeon at Temple St Children’s Hospital, Dr Ian Flitcroft, who will deliver the 2017 Pioneers Lecture on the Epidemiology of myopia and the public health time bomb.

Past president of the BCLA, Anna Sulley, will discuss contact lens retention success, and Professor James Wolffsohn will take a look at the DEWS II report. He will discuss its impact in practice on diagnosing, managing and treating dry eye disease.

The event will take place at the Wellcome Collection in London on 13 December from 1–8pm.